Embedded systems specialized computers operating as part of a larger electronic device. Embedded systems are ubiquitous in the modern world. Everything from a jet engine to something as simple as an electronic lock has an embedded system for monitoring and managing its vital functions. Conventionally, these computers operate in closed systems that are incapable of communicating with the outside world. However, with the advent of Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems contained in disparate devices are starting to be internetworked together and are starting to communicate with each other. The present invention utilizes the new-found connectivity to upgrade the firmware and configuration of embedded systems.
Firmware upgrades are imperative for electronic devices used in safety critical applications, such as those found in the automotive, aerospace, and the industrial automation. Firmware upgrades can be used to fix a part of the logic that could result in the dead lock or freeze of the electronic device. Firmware updates can also be used to ensure that electronic devices are running on the most up-to-date and secure firmware releases. Failing to properly update the firmware can compromise the security of the electronic device allowing malicious users from breaking into the system and manipulating the electronic device. This can lead to devastating consequences for companies that rely on embedded electronic devices for their business.
Low data rate technologies such as low power wide area network (LPWAN) have already become the de facto standard for IoT. In the future, there will be the need to connect thousands of millions of embedded systems in everything street lights, water pipes, bikes to freight containers. The market demands a more robust, reliable and practical device management method, and end-to-end solutions.
LPWAN uses low data rate modules that can transmit over a long distance and use very low power. Low data-rate modules use regulated industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands that usually limit the access of the spectrum after the previous usage and have bandwidths that are much lower than their short-range counterparts. Most importantly, they are programmed to be inactive for saving the power at the majority of time. For example, the communication between low data rate RF module and cloud can be less than 10 times a day depending on the use cases.
However, emerging solutions like using the low data rate technologies to upgrade the end devices pose hard burden on the regulated ISM bands and will jam the network when transferring the large data packets. Due to the limitation of the regulated ISM bands, the transmission of the packets will take days or weeks in ideal cases. If there is any packet lost or the integrity check is wrong, that part of the packet needs to be retransmitted, which will add more burden on the ISM bands and the whole system.
In contrast, high data-rate modules that use high bandwidths such as WLAN can transfer large data packets with relative ease. The WLAN connection is thus ideal for transmitting large data packets. However, high data-rate technologies also consume a lot of power, which is undesirable for embedded systems running on limited power. This can also be helpful in controlling vital functions of the embedded system such as firmware upgrades and changing the configuration settings.
As such, the present invention uses low data-rate packets to wake a high data-rate transceiver in an end device, to transfer firmware upgrade files from a mobile device to the end device.